Crypto Clarity Act Nears Passage; ‘Yield Issue’ Cleared

On May 8, 2026, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said Congress is very close to passing the Crypto Clarity Act, and Maryland Senator Angela Alsobrooks confirmed a long-running disagreement over crypto yields has been resolved. The two developments address separate but related sources of legal uncertainty for digital-asset firms operating in the United States.

The Crypto Clarity Act would set statutory rules to determine which tokens are securities and which are commodities. The bill would provide definitions for courts and regulators to use when deciding how different digital assets should be treated under federal law. Lawmakers and industry groups have pushed for a legislative framework after years of enforcement actions and court rulings left companies without a clear statutory standard.

Alsobrooks said negotiators resolved the so-called “yield issue,” a sticking point in a separate bitcoin market-structure bill. The yield issue concerns how to classify returns tied to crypto products, including staking rewards and interest on custody accounts. For months, lawmakers debated whether those returns should be regulated like securities, treated as bank-style deposits, or handled under a different category. Alsobrooks said the question has been settled and indicated the market-structure bill could move forward.

Tenev linked the need for a law to Robinhood’s recent business moves. Over the past two years, the trading app expanded the number of cryptocurrencies available on its platform and launched wallet features for retail users. He described clearer rules as necessary for U.S. companies to offer crypto services competitively.

Exchanges, asset managers and issuers of stablecoins have lobbied for definitions in statute, arguing that enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission have encouraged some activity to shift overseas. The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have disputed which agency has authority over various crypto products; the proposed law would aim to assign roles and definitions more explicitly.

Several bipartisan digital-asset bills have advanced in Congress this session, and the current administration has signaled support for pro-crypto legislation. With the yield disagreement addressed, proponents say a broader package that includes bitcoin market-structure measures faces fewer obstacles.

Supporters of the Crypto Clarity Act argue that clear statutory categories would reduce litigation and make compliance costs more predictable. Opponents warn that fixed legal categories could misclassify complex products and limit the ability of regulators to adapt to new activities. The May 8 statements reflect a legislative moment that could change how federal law governs digital assets and which agency supervises particular products.